Monthly Archives: September 2010

You can always count on Yankee fans to come to the rescue of their Team Captain, but I was surprised at the number of baseball fans in general, not just Yankee fans, who agree with Jeter’s current acting performance as being not only an accepted practice in baseball, but generally gamesmanship at its best. I received twice as many emails and comments on this post than I have in all the others combined, and the response was overwhelmingly in favor of an Emmy for Derek! Just goes to show I might have an opinion, but it doesn’t mean it’s a popular opinion! And that’s okay folks. I’ve always said, if it’s written, it’s real and boy did you write!

Here’s some of the opinions expressed on the subject. This response was from “thetickr.com” sports blog and most closely represents your opinions here at GFBB!

getswirled answered: I (hate) the Yankees, but that kind of stuff makes baseball beautiful.

Like this:

Take a look at this video. Be patient. It takes a minute to load. I had a devil of a time finding a copy that was not locked out with a “security violation”, but once again WordPress to the rescue. Anyhow this goes in line with my last two posts , “Hit by a Pitch” – well, not really, but you’ll see what I mean.

Geez, I kinda liked Derek Jeter. He’s like the last of the old time heroes. I always thought it was because he was still single and could get away with indiscretions because he wasn’t hurting his sweet little wife who sat patiently at home waiting for him, because he didn’t have a wife. But now this puts a bit of a different swing on things don’t you think? I mean I’m sure a lot of Yankee fans will think this is great, probably even funny, but this pathetic lie of an acting job probably cost the Rays the game. Hero? I don’t think so. As far as I’m concerned Derek Jeter has dropped a notch, a lot of notches, probably to the bottom of the belt, in my mind.

This brings the Hall of Fame to mind once again. So they don’t want gamblers and substance abusers in the HOF, but will they draw the line when it comes to a big fake? I didn’t realize it had happened before. Derek was a hero in my mind and I didn’t really look very hard to prove him otherwise. See the “Related Articles” below.

Hey, it’s okay! We have a few heroes on the horizon. Buster Posey and Madison Bumgarner come to mind, because I’m a Giants fan probably, but I’m sure you have others on your team you would nominate. I’d like to hear about them. It would make for a great blog sometime in the winter while I’m having to sit through one of those goddawful Monday night football games.

Good grief! I thought I’d seen it all folks. But this one really takes the cake! Is Jeter so stupid he didn’t realize there’s such a thing as “replays” and better yet, “replays in slow motion”? I guess when you’re making those kind of bucks all bets are off and you do whatever you have to do to get that win. Ethics, honesty and morality? We’ll have to look to our young heroes and cross our hearts, hope to die, stick a needle …… and say a prayer once in awhile. They’re sure gonna need it.

Talk about timing after Tuesday’s blog ~ Tonight in the 2nd inning, during the Giant’s/Cubs game, Jose Quillen was hit by a pitch in the 2nd inning not once but twice, at two separate at-bats, by two separate pitchers! Whodathunkit? No need for an ejection. Manager benched the pitcher as Giants scored 9 runs in the 2nd inning and went on to win the game 13-0. Giants are in contention for the division title, but after losing to the Cubs last night by score of 1-0, things were getting a little testy for players and fans alike. Tomorrow they go to the Colorado Rockies who are also in the running for the National West division title. Too bad for the Giants they can’t average those runs over some of the games huh?

An interesting note to the game…..Juan Uribe hit two home-runs (one was a grand slam) also in the 2nd inning, and as I recall this was off two separate pitchers also, but haven’t seen the stats yet. Giants games – torture? You bet! But that’s baseball! Gotta love it!

Note: See “GFBB Videos” on Side Bar. Click “Lannan Ejection” to view video for this post.

John Lannan

I’ve long been a fan of the “Two ‘Hits’ You’re Out” philosophy when it comes to MLB Pitchers. I mean, really, if you’ve made it to the show don’t you think the least you could do is get the darn ball across the plate? So okay, you miss one once in awhile, but there needs to be a limit and I’d say two is it. Take a look at this video. In all probabilities, this pitcher didn’t intend to hit his batters. But you have to draw the line somewhere and I think if you do it twice in one game, you’re outta there. Back in the Barry Bonds days the subject of

Curt Schilling

getting hit by a pitch was bordering on ridiculous. In one game Curt Schilling, the controlled master of all, managed to “accidentally” hit Bonds twice in the same game. He didn’t hit anyone else that game, just Bonds. Get real! Schilling should have been thrown out on his buns that game. But, when I just recently saw this video for the first time I thought, at least, the ump’s are finally getting it right. Doesn’t matter who you are or what your intention is. This is dangerous stuff. Things happen. Read the related article below where Ramirez was hit not once, but twice and had to leave the game because of related injuries. C’mon. These are professional baseball players doing what they do best. Do you really think it’s too much to ask? Maybe if a pitcher’s ejected enough times he can be “sentenced” to go back to the Minors for a refresher course. I’m just saying, you know, sometimes it’s not an accident and sometimes players get hurt. Sometimes the best thing that can happen is ……. you’re outta here!

Like this:

“1965. At Fenway Park in front of only 1,247 fans, Boston right-hander Dave Morehead no-hits the visiting Indians 2-1. On the same day, the 100 loss bound ninth place Red Sox fire their GM, Pinky Higgins.”

I found this statistic fascinating! This day in history, 1965, your couldn’t GIVE away tickets to watch the Red Sox play at Fenway. Only 1,247 showed up for the game! Wow! Times have changed and so has baseball. I was in Boston in June and talked with a cabbie there, exuberant about the fact I got to see the game that day. It’s hard to get tickets to a game at Fenway Park these days. On June 17, 2009, Red Sox fans were celebrating their 500th consecutive sellout at Fenway Park! And this is a park with 33,871 night time seating capacity that had an average attendance of 37,811 in 2009! Go figure.

But on September 16, 1965, seating capacity for Fenway Park was 33,524. Imagine going to a professional baseball game and you’re one of 1,247 fans. That means there are 32,277 empty seats. Whew! You could even hear yourself holler, if there was anything to holler about. I mean that season they ended up losing 100 games.

It’s different now. If you’ve ever been to Fenway you’ll get this. Once you get nestled into your wood seat you don’t

Fenway Park

dare move. This is a small stadium and I’d estimate maybe 12,000 fans are mulling through the concessions stands and restrooms at any given time. So once you leave your seat, figure about 45 minutes before you’ll get back again. Best advice……do all your stuff before you sit! So right now, today, Boston’s in 3rd place in their division, up and down this year. But it really doesn’t matter. Boston Red Sox fans are no longer fair weather fans. They’ve had winning seasons and losing seasons since 1965 . Not to worry. They manage to sell those seats game after game, year after year. And it’s one of the best stadiums in Major League Baseball! I love Fenway Park. I love the fans, the food, the team.

Where’d the fans go? They went right back to the park and that’s where they’ve been ever since, God love em!

When I first saw this video I thought it was some sort of trick photography. But these past few weeks, as team’s are playing with their entire seasons on the line gearing up for post season playoffs, you see some really amazing stuff. I’ve seen really spectacular plays at home plate, catches at the back wall similar to this video, unbelievable diving catches and just good old fashioned baseball at its best. My son’s track coach once told me the best all around athletes are those who’ve mastered the pole vault because of the all-around skills and athleticism needed for the sport. Maybe. But when I watch today’s baseball players in slow motion, going through the gyrations they go through, pitch after pitch after pitch, it’s truly unbelievable. I mean surreal! Here’s a few examples:

And it’s everyone playing as a team, just to get that one out, or make that one play, or get on base. It’s something to see! Just watching the speed in rounding the bases is enough to make a believer out of anyone. Baseball season lasts for 6 months not including post-season. That’s 162 games a year. And this isn’t for that one play the coach might call you in for. For one particular play. And this isn’t for the one game you’ll play this week, or for that one tournament that month.

So when you look at these photo’s remember these guys are playing their sport 6 months each year. Think about it. Football, basketball, golf, track & field, soccer. These are all great sports but the only sport that has the athlete going out day after day after day is baseball. I think of this often when friends tell me baseball is “boring” or baseball’s too slow. Good grief! Anyone can go out and run around the field non-stop for an hour or so once a week. (Well, that is, anyone in training, maybe, sort of) But it takes a real athlete to get out there day after day and perform those tasks as shown in the photo’s above. Ugghhh……it hurts to just look at some of those shots.

Well, anyhow, this is my opinion. I just get tired of non-fans trying to minimize the athletic abilities of professional baseball players. Baseball rocks! Get used to it!

Update April 20, 2013. This was the headline written by Alex Pavlovic, Bay Area News Group, after the Giants 4-3 loss to the Cubs last week-end.

“ROMO’S BLOWN SAVE DOOMS SF”

And right next to the ridiculous headline is a photo of Giants center fielder Angel Pagan missing Starlin Castro’s “game-winning double “. I wrote a blog September 1, 2010 that talks about this notion of one bad play losing the game. It just don’t work that way folks. Take a look and see what you think.

________________________________________________________

“Making the Error that Loses the Game” Original Post 9/1/10 By: Garlic Fries and Baseball”

I’m thinking of Cody Ross in the SF Giants loss to Colorado on Monday. You can place blame and point a finger to a specific play and/or player in any game, especially if it’s in the last couple innings. But think about it. What about that last swing in a strikeout that should have been a hit in any inning (this applies to both teams). Or how about all the runners left on base, in any inning? What if? If only! Take a look at one of the innings in this game. I chose the 2nd inning but it could have been any. Colorado Top of 2nd Jonathan Sanchez pitching for San Francisco COL SFO M Mora grounded out to shortstop. T Helton walked.R Spilborghs grounded into double play, third to second to first, T Helton out at second. 0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors San Francisco – Bottom of 2nd Jorge De La Rosa pitching for Colorado COL SFO C Ross struck out swinging. P Sandoval singled to left. J Uribe grounded into double play, shortstop to second to first, P Sandoval out at second. 0 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors

“Before he was a Giant!”

So let’s assume Helton hit a home run instead of walked. Then Cody’s “error” in the 9th doesn’t have the significance it would have had if the game hadn’t been tied. Or suppose Uribe, instead of hitting into a double play, slammed that hit right between 3rd base and the SS and now they have a runner on 1st and 2nd and Sanchez gets to bat and hits a line drive single. This brings the guy on 2nd home and bingo! That error out in right field in the top of the 9th isn’t quite so significant either. MLB.com has some great shots of the game and also the play by play if you’re interested. What’s important to note here is the only error in the 9th inning is given to Sanchez on his throw to 3rd and not to Ross on the flyball to right field that caught some miracle of flight after a broken bat went sailing along with the hit. I woke up thinking about all this as I reflected on the unusually low attendance of 31,000 fans at the game yesterday, the night after the Cody Ross incident. Giants fans are not known to be fair weather fans so it caught my attention. But I’ll bet you odds there will be another big crowd tonight at AT&T Park, because even after the incredibly disappointing loss to Arizona on Monday, the SF Giants won and the San Diego Padres lost last night! Hope is alive and the fans will return again and again to watch their beloved Giants and all it will take is one great play from Cody Ross (Sanchez already provided his) and all is forgiven and forgotten. It’s kinda like hitting a 150 yard drive off the 1st tee at Pasatiempo. Nothing else really matters the rest of the day. It only takes one play folks……and that’s what’s so great about baseball! Don’t you just love it? “

GFBB Note: Cody Ross went on to be instrumental in post season play and the Giants World Series win in 2010. Just goes to show you …..

"The best possible thing in baseball is winning the World Series. The second best thing is losing the World Series." - Tommy Lasorda

"You teach me baseball and I’ll teach you relativity.... You will learn about relativity faster than I learn baseball." - Albert Einstein

"Baseball is a game of race, creed, and color. The race is to first base. The creed is the rules of the game. The color? Well, the home team wears white uniforms, and the visiting team wears gray."
Joe Garagiola

About this Blogger!

DISCLAIMER

GARLICFRIESANDBASEBALL is written by a long-time fan who simply loves the game. I write my own articles (hence the grammar and occasional misspellings). If I include an article from another source, credit is given to that source and will include links when appropriate. The opinions are my own.